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Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:31:57 -0400Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbzoz@presspublications.com (The Press Newspaper)Lake Township: Sick time payment approved for widow http://www.presspublications.com/16318-lake-township-sick-time-payment-approved-for-widow
http://www.presspublications.com/16318-lake-township-sick-time-payment-approved-for-widowA resolution authorizing the payment of unused sick time accrued by the former sexton of the Lake Township Cemetery to his widow has been approved by the township trustees.

The trustees Tuesday unanimously approved a payment of $2,393 to the widow of Dan Sprinski, who died suddenly in May.

The payment amount, however, drew criticism from Sprinski’s family and friends, who contended his widow is entitled to at least half of the 435.25 hours he’d accrued.

Jeff Pettit, who chairs the board of trustees, said the payment reflects 25 percent of Sprinski’s accrued hours. That percentage, he said, is set in the township’s contract with the police union and it’s been the practice of the trustees to treat unionized and non-union employees equitably.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Larry Limpf)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:34:09 -0400Oregon residents seek answers about flooding http://www.presspublications.com/16317-oregon-residents-seek-answers-about-flooding
http://www.presspublications.com/16317-oregon-residents-seek-answers-about-floodingAt a July 13 committee of the whole meeting, Oregon officials heard concerns from residents about flooding and drainage problems as a result of the June 27 heavy rain event.

“No matter what we say or do, it is never any fun to clean up sewage out of a basement,” said City Administrator Mike Beazley. “Most of us have done it, I’ve done it. We understand that.”

“For those of you who say this was worse than it’s ever been, the answer is you’re right. It was worse.”

We’ve talked to hundreds of residents for the last couple of weeks and we’re trying to learn as we go. We’re trying to learn from each major event. We learned from the 2008 event. That was probably the biggest one from quite a few years until then. This one trumped that by a lot.”

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Kelly Kaczala)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:32:39 -0400Woodmore schools: Hearing Wednesday on records lawsuithttp://www.presspublications.com/16316-woodmore-schools-hearing-wednesday-on-records-lawsuit
http://www.presspublications.com/16316-woodmore-schools-hearing-wednesday-on-records-lawsuitHearings are scheduled for Wednesday in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court for a complaint filed by a Woodville woman against the Woodmore Board of Education.

A mediation hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. and another session is set for 1 p.m. before Judge Bruce Winters.

Cara Brown filed the complaint last February, alleging the school board has repeatedly violated Ohio’s open records and meetings laws.

Her lawsuit alleges:• Agendas for special and regular meetings of the board in 2014 and the first two months of 2015 were deficient and violated the laws.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Larry Limpf)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:30:52 -0400Oregon’s new semi stolen from dealer in Monroehttp://www.presspublications.com/16315-oregon-s-new-semi-stolen-from-dealer-in-monroe
http://www.presspublications.com/16315-oregon-s-new-semi-stolen-from-dealer-in-monroeOregon’s new semi-trailer truck valued at $130,000 was stolen from a Western Star Dealer in Monroe, Michigan this month where it was being serviced under warranty.

“We had an unusual theft to report today,” City Administrator Mike Beazley said at a council meeting on July 13. “One of our big semis disappeared. It’s gone. And it’s a large truck. It’s insured, but it’s someone else’s responsibility.”

The truck was purchased last year, and went into service in October, Marty Wineland, superintendent of streets, told The Press after the meeting.

“We used it for hauling stones and leaves, and to pull a low boy equipment trailer,” he said.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Kelly Kaczala)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:29:30 -0400Nov. levy renewal request droppedhttp://www.presspublications.com/16314-nov-levy-renewal-request-dropped
http://www.presspublications.com/16314-nov-levy-renewal-request-droppedVoters in the Woodmore School District won’t see a levy renewal request on the November ballot.

The school board voted Tuesday to not seek renewal this year of a 5-year property tax that generates $600,000 annually for operations.

The levy will expire in December 2016 but the board last month voted 4-1 to begin the process for placing it on this November’s ballot.

Joe Liszak, a member of the board’s finance committee, cast the sole vote against going on the ballot, arguing that voters in May had rejected the renewal levy and an income tax request. District residents, he said, deserved a clearer picture of the school system’s financial situation before the board opts to go to the ballot.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Larry Limpf)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:28:11 -0400Clinics stay popular at 2015 National Rifle Matcheshttp://www.presspublications.com/16313-clinics-stay-popular-at-2015-national-rifle-matches
http://www.presspublications.com/16313-clinics-stay-popular-at-2015-national-rifle-matchesA total of 443 entered this year’s Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) – held in Camp Perry’s historic Hough Theater and Viale Range during the 2015 National Trophy Rifle Matches.

The clinic is designed for new and experienced shooters alike. Beginners learn the basics of marksmanship and competition shooting, while the more advanced will have the chance to learn more specific instruction on how to improve their skills.

D.J. Maier, 36, and his wife Keiko, 34, of Lake Villa, Illinois, participated in SAFS for the first time. D.J., a former Marine, had been to the matches before but hadn’t returned since 2000. His wife, who he met in Japan while he was stationed there, is totally new to the shooting game – but with the help of the SAFS instructors, she was able to catch on quickly.

“She did fine today. I think it’s something we’re going to do from here on out,” DJ said. “She’s new to it. She’s from Tokyo…for her to come out here, really her first time to pick up a highpower rifle – she was shooting 9’s and 10’s, so the instruction had to have been awesome. She did very well.”

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Ashley Brugnone, Camp Perry Writer, celder@thecmp.org)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:25:31 -0400Ag tax valuations to be discussedhttp://www.presspublications.com/16312-ag-tax-valuations-to-be-discussed
http://www.presspublications.com/16312-ag-tax-valuations-to-be-discussedA public meeting to discuss changes to the state’s Current Agricultural Use Valuation tax formula is scheduled for Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. at Oak Harbor High School.

Ottawa County Auditor Lawrence Hartlaub said he planned the meeting to inform the public about recent changes in the program adopted by the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Rick Hoffman, of Local Government Services, LLC, will discuss the changes.

“The Ottawa County Auditor’s office has worked with Mr. Hoffman for a number of years on matters related to real estate taxation, valuation and budgeting,” Hartlaub said. “We will tap into his knowledge of the CAUV formula to explain the many recent changes to the formula and the future of the CAUV program.”

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Larry Limpf)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:19:13 -0400Flooding forces committee to seek Plan C for celebrationhttp://www.presspublications.com/16311-flooding-forces-committee-to-seek-plan-c-for-celebration
http://www.presspublications.com/16311-flooding-forces-committee-to-seek-plan-c-for-celebrationIn a span of about 30 hours over June 26 and 27, approximately 6.5 inches of rain fell in the Woodville area. All of this rain in that amount of time caused area streams and rivers to flood quickly. The Portage River crested at approximately 13.71 feet. This was by no means a record for the area as there was a crest of 14.66 feet that was recorded in 2008. The highest recorded crest of all time was 17 feet in 1913.

The deluge threatened Woodville’s 73rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration, forced committee members to implement Plan B and strategize a Plan C for future celebrations.

With water covering Trailmarker Park, the festival site, less than a week before July 4th, many wondered if the annual celebration would go on. Rene Dix, committee co-chair, said the committee wondered if the water would go down in time, would the ground dry out enough to have fireworks on Friday night and would the river smell go away by the weekend.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Deb Wallace)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:09:32 -0400Third phase of sanitary sewer rehabilitation in Oregon to start this yearhttp://www.presspublications.com/16310-third-phase-of-sanitary-sewer-rehabilitation-in-oregon-to-start-this-year
http://www.presspublications.com/16310-third-phase-of-sanitary-sewer-rehabilitation-in-oregon-to-start-this-yearOregon is about to begin Phase 3 of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project to reduce infiltration and inflow (I&I) of storm water into the sanitary sewers.

Phase 3, which will be mostly funded by a low interest loan from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF), consists of lining sanitary sewers to eliminate sewer overflows. The city applied for the loan in April.

Oregon council in June approved a $1.9 million contract with Performance Pipeline, of Ottawa, Illinois, for Phase 3. The bid was much lower than the city’s $3 million cost estimate for the project.

Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Projects Phases 1 and 2 have already been completed. Phase 3 includes the rehabilitation of mainline and lateral sanitary sewers in the Euclid Park, Old Eastmoreland, and Valley Park areas and the lining of 56 manholes.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Kelly Kaczala)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:08:36 -0400T-Town Action Week: Residents take on area afflicted by drugs, prostitutionhttp://www.presspublications.com/16309-t-town-action-week-residents-take-on-area-afflicted-by-drugs-prostitution
http://www.presspublications.com/16309-t-town-action-week-residents-take-on-area-afflicted-by-drugs-prostitutionT-Town Action Week comes to East Toledo on August 3-8, and residents are focusing on an area One Voice for East Toledo leaders say is afflicted by prostitution and known drug houses.

The City of Toledo and One Voice are recruiting volunteers to join their “anti-blight movement,” which means cleaning up the area between Starr to Navarre and Oak to White, focusing on East Broadway over to Main to Oak.

Jodi Gross, East Toledo Family Center community builder and One Voice leader, says the area that faces the most challenges sits along East Broadway between Nevada and Starr.

“That’s been on our radar for a long time,” Gross said, adding that the clean-up has been expanded to meet those challenges.

“The biggest thing is just showing the community that we need to take back our neighborhoods. Even though we are pounding the pavement to try and get this taken care of, we need everybody to do it, especially in that particular area,” Gross continued.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (J. Patrick Eaken)Pages of the PressMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:05:35 -0400Buckeye CableSystem is moving to Northwoodhttp://www.presspublications.com/16261-buckeye-cablesystem-is-moving-to-northwood
http://www.presspublications.com/16261-buckeye-cablesystem-is-moving-to-northwoodA site on Oregon and Wales roads in Northwood will become the central campus of Buckeye CableSystem and Telesystem, it was announced last week.

The company will move over 500 employees from Toledo to a 150,000-square-foot facility that is currently being used by Taylor, Nelson and Sofres (TNS), formerly NFO, at 2700 Oregon Road. Buckeye CableSystem recently bought the building, said Northwood City Administrator Bob Anderson. According to the Wood County Auditor’s website, the building was purchased June 26 for $6.25 million.

TNS, a market research company, employs 137 people. The city, which has a 1.5 percent income tax rate, collects about $125,000 annually in revenue from the company’s payroll. The city will help TNS find another location, said Anderson.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Kelly Kaczala)Pages of the PressMon, 20 Jul 2015 09:23:53 -0400Genoa: Quarry open to all but membership dwindlinghttp://www.presspublications.com/16263-genoa-quarry-open-to-all-but-membership-dwindling
http://www.presspublications.com/16263-genoa-quarry-open-to-all-but-membership-dwindlingAs memberships at the Genoa quarry continue to drop, village officials wonder if it and an adjacent park area are succumbing to a change in lifestyle for families and children.

Two years ago quarry memberships reached 120 but dropped last year to 61. This year, only 41 memberships have been purchased.

“It’s been trending down,” Mayor Mark Williams said. “I’m told back in the 1950s the village sold more than 300 passes in a season. But few people had pools.”

However, at a time when health advisories for beaches along Lake Erie are not uncommon and stories of algal blooms in the lake dominate the headlines, the mayor and Mike Thomas, the parks director, are puzzled why the quarry, with its beach area, two diving boards, four rafts and a tube slide, doesn’t draw larger crowds.

]]>graphic@presspublications.com (Larry Limpf)Pages of the PressMon, 20 Jul 2015 09:30:01 -0400Genoa: New building to service park, quarry http://www.presspublications.com/16262-genoa-new-building-to-service-park-quarry
http://www.presspublications.com/16262-genoa-new-building-to-service-park-quarryIt’s out with the old and in with the new at Genoa’s main park.

Genoa officials razed the old bath house at Veterans Park and months later are putting the finishing touches on a new building at the same site.

But even as the height of summer season fun explodes across the park centered on the quarry, the building won’t be ready for park staff and patron use this season.

“We’ve got the approval from the county building inspection,” Village Administrator Kevin Gladden. “Now we need to get in there and do some electrical work.”